Cartridge orientor



Nov. 14, 1944; H, WOODBERRY 2,362,517

CARTRIDGE ORIE NTOR Filed Nov. 24, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Pi g.

3mm 4 5 John l-Lwuodbemy' mhwwu Nov. 14, 1944. J. H. WOODBERRY CARTRIDGE ORIENTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 24, 1942 j 1 LL] 1 M a l W/lZ/// Lll/ ll! l/l/ Elma/whom //LflZ//// John H. WuudbEmy WWM Patented Nov. 14, 1944 UNITED; smrriasi; ears-mm demo ziafiasn l CARTRIDGE ORIENTOR.

J ohnrH; .Woodberry, Metuchen, NJJ.

Application November 24, 1942,. SeriaLNo. $166,826

(Granted at under the m of .March; 3;; 1883; as, amended Aprilf-BO; 1928; 310:0: o; my

The invention described herein may beimanufactured and used by or forthefiovernment for-1- governmental purposes, without the;payment to y me :of\ any royaltythereon This invention relates to apparatus for loading: cart-ridges into belts or other containers and-ton cartridge handling apparatus ingeneral, the vention .being particularly, directed to a'novel and heapedinto ahopper, in :a predetermined direo--;

tion, so; that the oriented cartridgesmaybe iede.

inran orderly sequence in the loading unachine. I show one embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. :1 is a top view of the improvedorientingi mechanism; i i

' improved mechanism for orienting the cartridges 1:

Fig. 2 is a side sectiontaken substantially on.

the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig .3 is, a section through the hoppers taken;

online '3--3ioftFig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a front section taken substantially .onr-

the line 4-4 of Fig; 2.

The improved orienting mechanism of this in;-

vention is shown applied to a -cartridge loading machine which handles both ball cartridges and tracer cartridges. substantially the same physical characteristics; shape, weight, positionof center of gravity; etcr,

as the ball cartridges. It is standard practice to load-the cartridges in the belt or carrierso that every-fifth cartridge is a'tracer; this is followed inthe machine hereillustrated. The tracer ear tridges'are heaped into a single large hopper 40 which is provided "with a centrally located iii-- verted-V divider 2| (Figs; 1 and 3) which directs the tracer cartridges 'to two arteries- 22 and-"22 (Fig; 1). The ballcartridgesare heaped into-aplurality,--four as shown "in the figures (especially Fig.1), of small hoppers l0. Each-hopperis= divided'into two arteries l2. There being :four hoppers l0 and each hopper- I0 having-two arteries 12; there are in all eight ball 'cartridge'ar--- teries l2; and also, as described-above, two tracercartridge arteries -22.- As clearly seenin-Figxl; the lowermost artery'shown onthe sheet is tracer The tracer cartridges .1 have artery 22', which is followed by-four ballarter-ies=- l2, and, next, by the second tracer artery";

finally by the four ballarteries l2.-

Spaced a distance from the ends of-thearteries as shown in Fig-4. is a collar -23 which is-secured' to shaft;;30;gasgby a setr-lscrewsFigg 4;: to;;rotate therewith-M Secured tonne face ,ofcollar-:23 ;(as. by.r screws; Eigwl ispa zrotor; 2 4a; Sl'idably': adjuste;

ablepn the shaft butrieathered. toitsrk'eyway rotatee'therewithwis1a second rotor 24bz'which :coe

operates with non-:slidable rotor 24min a. manner to berexplainedr Means'are provided foradjust-r ing: the distance: between the, two .1 cooperating rotors 24aand"24b,1Which; means'maybev asvbestq seendn'Figa 4,. machine.-bo1ts.,-l having. oppositely 1 cut threads;- screw: ;threads .a. :are -cut inconer-zdi; rectionzto screwinto :correspondinglycutmapped: hOIBSE1DIOVidEd; r in; noneslidable 1 rotor 24m... and screw threads; bxare .cut in; the oppositerdirection *to .screw into correspondingly =cut, tapped .holesr.

providedrinslidable :rotonz24br- To; more securely i hold. 11312185 two :rotorsz-in cooperative relation; and 1:. to .facilitate their adjustment, a:.pluralityrofhsuchs adjusting. screws I three; asshown in, Fig.2) are:

provided 'and spaceduequally around the. rotors.

A spring -9 :is: associatediwvith each bolt andine terposed "between the "two cooperating ,rotors ;24dc and; 2d'brto. eliminate play-in the threads As-b'est seen :in-rFigz, 1,. the center line through the 'space.separatingc-rotors 124a, 24brgaligns. with?! the-center rline of the i tracer cartridge artery r 225 Spacedia short-distance :tothe left of rotors 24b; referring to Figr'l. is;a:second; collar pl 3 :secured to shaft: 30 as *withyset. :screws supporting? a rotor Marin fixed relation; to ,thexshaft; Tethereleft ofsfrotor Ma; is :rotorcldb which: isgfeathw ered. :omthe shaft for an extent-10f axialxgadiusta mentxbyimeans of .a; plurality. (three; as ShQWII'LiII Fig; 2),: ofroppositelylcutimachine bolts .41: As;

'bestzrseens in Fig. 1,1 the cen-ter linebetweenrrotorsg 1 4a ;and 1 l 411 :aligns :with :the center line of the first-ball tcartridge artery |2 (also designated =A; Fig-1,01? 12A).

wisermounted on :the shaft :for an extent of, axial.

adjustment relativeto. rotor 14b, by :meansmfr;

machine bolts .2;"- provided withoppositely cut-:1 threads: screvwthreads =b-; Fig;:4 are ,cutxin one die;

rection to screw into correspondingly cut. tapped;-

holes provided in A rotor; I 4b :andriscrew; threads :0

cessibilityg: Therotor 14a -is.provided-with. clear-r.

ance holes 4 5 iorwpassagezoi longenbolt 12.;

Beyondileftwardfin,FigsA). the rotor are;

'in order, Md and Me. Rotor Md is adjustahlyrz;

held to rotor I40 by machine bolts 5, which are similar to bolts 4 in that they are of the long type, to pass through holes l5 provided in end rotor I40. End rotor [4c is adjustably held to rotor Md by shorter bolts 3.

The seven rotors thus far described (namely, rotors 24a, 24b and Ida, b, c, d, e) constitute onehalf of the rotor assembly, more particularly, the right half as viewed in Fig. 4. The other or left half is precisely the same, the rotors, bolts and The cartridges, held at the top point of the rotors in a vertical position (as is cartridge N, Fig.2) are removed therefrom and oriented in orderly manner with their primer ends foremost a (as are cartridges Q, Fig. 2) by fingers I (best shown in Fig. 2) which are secured at one end to the right end of chutes 8. The distal ends of the other parts bearing the same reference characters as described above in connection with the right half.

As mentioned above, rotors 24a and 24b cooperate together to orient the tracer cartridges coming down artery 22', Fig. 1. For this purpose the outer edge portion of the facing sides of rotors.

24a, 24b are provided with a beveled ring, respectively 26a and 26b, oppositely pitched or sloped A.

as best seen in Fig. 4. End rotor Ma and inner rotor- Mb cooperate together to'- orient the bail cartridges coming down artery IZA, Fig. 1. For this purpose, the outer edge portion of theleft face (see Fig. 4) of end rotor Ma and the right face of inner rotor Mb, i. e;, the two facing sides of I la, [4b, are provided with oppositely sloped beveled Mia and 161), respectively. Inner rotor Mb, more particularly, its left face in Fig. 4, cooperates with the right face of'inner rotor Mo to orient ball cartridges coming down artery.l2B.

The improved orientingmechanism of this invention is designed to orient cartridges heaped disorderly in a hopper, e.- g.,-in hopper 20, Fig. 2, in an orderly manner, with the primer end of the cartridge foremost (on the chute or slide 8, Fig.

2). To accomplish this the shaft 30 and its rotor assembly is rotated in a counterclockwise sense (as'viewed in Fig. 2). The cartridges slidingdown Fig. 2).

Iclaim: I 1 In a device fori'orienting cartridges with their-primer ends pointed in a predetermined direction, the combination of a hopper into which the cartridges are promiscuously heaped, a chute "leading from the hopper, a shaft, a disc fixedly mounted on the said shaft to rotate therewith,

a disc feathered on the'said shaft, the said shaft being disposed tothe left of the said chute and substantially level with the end thereofwith the said discs close to thesaid end of the chute, means for rotating the said shaft and discs in a counterclockwise direction, the said discs being.

provided with a plurality of spaced and aligned holes, the said holes jofthe respective discs being oppositely tapped, screw bolts provided with oppositely threaded portions screwed intothesaid aligned holes for adjusting the spacing between artery l2, Fig. 2, may be received between a pair of cooperating rotors, more particularly, between their oppositely pitched and facing bevels (26a 2617, [6a, I61), I60, etc.) either with the primer end or the projectile end foremost. The cartridge'M in Fig. 2 happens to have its primer end foremost. The bevels of the rotor bear a predetermined relation to the outside diameter of the primer end of the type of cartridgeto be handled by the machine, such that, after the rotors have been adjusted by their adjusting bolts I to 5, the primer end of a cartridge will be frictionally caught between the cooperating bevels of a facing pair of rotors (see cartridge M, Fig.2), as the rotors turn in a counterclockwise sense, Fig. 2,'a

cartridge caught by its primer end (such as the cartridge M), will be carried around by the rotor. The center of gravity of the type of cartridge to be oriented by the improvedmechanism in close to its projectile end, i. e. removed from its primer end lowermost (see cartridge tridge tOftllIll the cartridge to a substantially projectile end foremost, the major portion-of the cartridge will pass between the pair of facing bevels, until the" primer end becomes frictionally Fig. 2 to bring it vertical. precisely like cartridgeN.

In this case, the cartridge is turned by; s gravity, in a counterclockwise sense, as viewed in the said discs, the inner peripheral portions of the said discs'being provided with oppositely shaped bevels adapted to frictionallyengage the primer end of a cartridge gravitating downthe chute, whereby the engaged cartridge is carried by the said rotating discs, the so carried cartridge turning on its frictionally engaged primer end to a vertically ,oriented position by force of gravity, a discharge chute leading from th said discs, and a fingersecured at one end to the said'chute and presenting a distal portion between the said pair of discs adapted to contact the projectile end of the so suspended carhorizontal position with its primer end foremost and to'remove the so oriented cartridge from the said pair of discs and to place the removed car tridge on the said discharge chute. a

rection, the combination of a hopper into which the cartridges are promiscuously heaped, a chute leading from the hopper, a shaft, a disc fixedly mounted on the said shaft to rotate therewith, a disc feathered on the said shaft, the said shaft being disposed to the leftof the said chute and.

substantially .level with the end thereof with'the said discs close to the said end of the chute, means, for rotating the said shaft and discs in a counter-,

clockwise direction, means for adjusting the specing between the said-discs,-the inner peripheral portions of thesaid discsbeing providedwith oppositely shaped bevels adapted to 'frictionally engagezthe primer end ofa cartridge gravitating. down the chute, whereby theengaged cartridge is carried by the said rotating discs, the socarried cartridge turning on its frictionally; engagedv "primer end; to a vertically oriented positionby'.

force of gravity, a discharge chute leading from the said discs, and a finger secured at one end to the said chute and presenting a distal portion between the said pair of discs adapted to contact the projectile end of the so suspended cartridge to turn the cartridge to a substantially horizontal position with its primer end foremost and to rethird, and a fourth disc feathered. on the said shaft, and a fifth end disc likewise feathered on the shaft, the first end disc and the said second disc, the said second and third discs, the said third and fourth discs, and the said fourth and fifth end disc being provided with spaced aligned holes, the said holes of the respective ones of the said pairs of discs being oppositely tapped, short screw bolts for the said first end disc and second disc, and for the said fourth disc and fifth end disc, and longer screw bolts for the said second and third discs and for the said third and fourth discs, the said bolts being provided with oppositely threaded screws, the said end discs being provided with clearance holes for the said longer bolts, the edge of the said end discs being beveled on their inward faces and the said inner discs being beveled on their both faces.

4. In a device for orientating cartridges with their primer ends pointed in the same direction and for interspersing among them in predetermined order a modified cartridge, a plurality of hoppers, one for containing, promiscuously heaped, the modified cartridges and another for containing similarly heaped unmodified cartridges, a chute leading from each hopper, a plurality of discs mounted for rotation adjacent the chutes and having between them a pluralit of spaces to receive the unmodified cartridges, said spaces communicating with the chute for the unmodified cartridges, and two discs similarly mounted adjacent the modified cartridges chute and spaced to receive said modified cartridges and communicating with the modified cartridge hopper, the inner peripheral faces of all of the discs being provided withfacin'gbevels for frictionally engaging the primer end of the cartridges to causethem to be brought, bygravity, to vertically orientated position and means for removing the cartridges from between the discs with their primer ends pointed in the same direction.

5. The invention of claim 4 characterized in that there are delivery chutes adjacent the discs and provided with fingers extending between the discs and constituting means for removing the cartridges from between said discs.

6. The invention of claim 4 characterized in that the delivery chutes are provided with grooves for conveying the cartridges away from the machine in separated rows.

JOHN H. WOODBERRY. 

